Corpse Party: Moving On
by thewolf214
Summary: It's been a month since the tragedy of Heavenly Host took place. The five survivors have begun to move on with their lives. Naomi is having second thoughts about her feelings for Satoshi. Yoshiki is trying desperately to win over his love, Ayumi, who is torn between the two boys. Satoshi is about to go through another tragedy. Will anything ever be the same? (No cursing or lemons.)
1. A Meeting in the Park

**Helloooooo, Corpse Party fans! This is my first fanfiction, although I've been reading Corpse Party fanfictions for quite a while now. I'd like to thank the authors of Corpse Party: A Dangerous Game (idig4skullz), Bittersweet - Corpse Party (Pofforx), and Passage (Jody14) for inspiring me to write my own ****fanfiction. I support both Yoshiki x Ayumi and Satoshi x Naomi, so don't worry. Those ships will survive. I'm new to the author side of this site, so please bear with me. Also, keep in mind that I am not done writing this story, so there may not be updates for long periods of time. I'm going to try my best to keep this going even after school starts (which is September 4th). And now, enjoy!**

**(UPDATE: Thanks to accentcore8 for pointing out in a review that Satoshi and Naomi refer to each other by their first names. I edited the story. To everyone else, if you have any suggestions of your own, I will definitely consider them!)**

* * *

_He was on fire. Every nerve in his body was screaming in pain. He had never experienced agony of this degree. Through the haze of pain, he saw a girl staring at him in horror, the one he was dying for: Ayumi Shinozaki._

_ "Shinozaki - run!" he grunted through gritted teeth. She began to protest. "It's too late for me! Save yourself!" he screamed in desperation. If she was safe, he could rest in peace. The weight of the burning anatomical model on his back in addition to the pain was too much; his knees buckled and he crumpled to the ground. Completely engulfed in flames, he saw Ayumi running for the door. She stopped for a moment in hesitation, glancing back at him, and he saw the bloodstained sledgehammer descending quickly toward her skull._

"SHINOZAKIIIII!"

Yoshiki awoke with a start, sweating and panting. "Shinozaki..." he murmured to himself, then shook his head to clear it. "It was just a dream." Kicking off his tangled sheets, he let the air conditioning cool him off. He was bare-chested, sporting only a pair of red flannel pajama bottoms.

He lay in bed for a moment, staring up at the ceiling and its many hairline cracks. Yoshiki lived in constant fear that the frugality of the building super would bite him in the butt and the entire setup would collapse.

When the chilly air became too cold for him, Yoshiki rolled out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen. "Hopefully I can rustle something up," he muttered, pulling open the fridge. Its meager contents were two cartons of leftover take-out, a bruised apple, a few cans of soda, a gallon of milk that most likely expired around the time that Columbus discovered America, one half-empty can of beer, and a very suspicious-looking casserole that Miki brought over at some point.

"Fantastic," Yoshiki said sarcastically, choosing the leftover take-out. It was sushi. As he began eating it out of the box, still standing at the counter, he glanced at the clock on the microwave. It was already noon.

_ If only Shinozaki could see me now,_ he thought with a small smile. _Messing up the entire definition of breakfast. She's so organized... It would be almost upsetting to her!_ His smile faded. _Then again, everything I do seems to be upsetting to her..._ He finished the rest of his 'breakfast' quickly, lost in thought.

It was Saturday. Nearly a month had passed since the events of Heavenly Host transpired, and the five survivors were finally beginning to move on with their lives. Naomi had it the worst; of all of them, she had been the closest to one of the victims - Seiko Shinohara - and was still struggling with depression. Granted, it was a hard burden to bear for all of them. Without the support of one another, Yoshiki doubted that any of them would have been able to recover. Luckily, the group was not torn apart by the tragedy. If anything, the loss of their beloved teacher and friends had strengthened the bond between them. He couldn't live without the others: Satoshi's kind heart, Yuka's cheerful countenance, Naomi's strength, and Ayumi's determination; Yoshiki needed them all. He only hoped that they felt the same way. He hoped that they needed him, for some trait of his that might be admirable. Yoshiki didn't think he had any such traits...

_To this day, I have no idea why they befriended me,_ he thought. _To everyone else, I was just a good-for-nothing slacker, and a delinquent to boot. But they saw something in me... Something that even I have yet to discover._

Yoshiki rubbed his eyes. "Why am I obsessing over this? Get on with it, man! Quit waxing philosophical," he commanded himself. He tossed the take-out box into the trash and returned to his bedroom to get dressed. After all, he was meeting his friends at the park in half an hour.

As he was slipping into a black v-neck, Yoshiki's cell phone buzzed. It was a message from Satoshi.

_ Getting ready for the park?_

Yoshiki quickly tapped out a "Yep" before pulling on a well-worn pair of dark blue jeans. While he was buttoning them, his phone buzzed again. Prepared to answer another text from his best friend, he was surprised to see that it was from Ayumi.

_The park at 1:00, hope you remembered! ;)_

Yoshiki immediately panicked, tossing his phone on the bed. "She texted me! She put a winky face! What's that supposed to mean? How the hell do I respond to a winky face?" He began pacing the room, a nervous habit of his. Suddenly he stopped and stalked back to the bed, snatching his phone. "What am I freaking out about?" he wondered aloud, while continuing to freak out internally. "She, uh, probably meant to just put a normal smiley... Or maybe she doesn't really know the implied meaning of the winky face..." He cut himself off. "God! I'm being so weird! I'll just... tell her I remembered. And that I'll see her there." He tapped out the message. "Yeah! That's good. No smiley face. _Definitely_ no winky face."

Sighing, he clicked _Send _and tucked the phone into his back pocket. He had to get going if he was to reach the park by one.

* * *

Meanwhile, Satoshi was struggling to escape the house, which was proving to be a difficult endeavor with Yuka refusing to let go of him.

"Big brother said he'd play with Yuka today," she whined, tightening her arms around his waist.

"Yuka, I'll play with you later, when I get home!" Satoshi said, exasperated, as he tried to pry her off of him. "I have to meet my friends at the park!"

His sister stared up at him with her big blue eyes. "Will big brother really play with Yuka when he gets back?" Her lower lip wobbled dangerously.

"Of course," Satoshi replied with a smile, ruffling her hair. "Now, let go so I can make it on time."

She let go of him reluctantly and watched him go out the door, slinging a backpack over his shoulders. _Be careful, big brother..._

* * *

At the designated time, three people were gathered under an oak tree.

"Where's Nakashima?" Ayumi wondered aloud. Her question was met with shrugs.

"I'm here!" came a sudden cry from a few feet away. Naomi was jogging towards them, a plastic bag swinging from her hand.

"Nakashima! It's nice to see you," Yoshiki said as she reached them, smiling. "How are you?" The question was a little more serious than it sounded. They were all worried about their once-cheerful friend, although she seemed to be recovering.

As Yoshiki smiled at her, Ayumi felt a pang of - was it jealousy? _Why am I feeling jealous of Nakashima? I don't care about Kishinuma… Not in _that _way, at least…_

"I'm good, Kishinuma-kun," Naomi chirped brightly. Her wide smile didn't quite reach her eyes, but that went unnoticed by the others. "I brought cookies," she announced, showing them the contents of the plastic bag.

"Then your lateness is excused," Satoshi proclaimed, grabbing a chocolate chip cookie from the bag.

"Oh, thank _good_ness," Naomi said dramatically with an exaggerated sigh of relief. "Cookie, class rep?"

"Sure, thanks!" Ayumi grinned and took a cookie. Naomi handed one to Yoshiki, then took one for herself. They each took a bite.

"Mmm, Naomi - these are good!" Satoshi mumbled incomprehensibly around a mouthful of cookie.

Naomi giggled. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Satoshi! Didn't your mother teach you manners?" she teased. As his face reddened, she smirked. "Aw, you look so cute when you're flustered!" Immediately, she mentally slapped herself and tried to prevent the color from rising in her cheeks. _I'd better pretend that I was just joking. I sort of was, after all..._

Satoshi blushed even deeper. "I - uh, it's - umm," he stuttered nervously. Yoshiki chuckled. Ayumi felt a flash of annoyance at Naomi for being so forward. Who did she think she was?

"Agh, Nakashima, look what you've done to him! You're embarrassing Mochida-kun!" she snapped. _Maybe he'll notice that I came to his defense…_

"Oh, uh, it's fine. I'm fine, Shinozaki," Satoshi recovered himself, his heart finally slowing to a normal rate.

_Why doesn't he ever refer to _me _by my first name? _Ayumi wondered furiously, shooting a glare at Naomi, who blanched.

Noticing this, Yoshiki came to her rescue. "Aw, lay off, Shinozaki," he said pleadingly, then paled as she turned her burning gaze on him. "S - sorry," he squeaked. Naomi grinned internally. Kishinuma was such a wimp when it came to their class rep, while to everyone else he was tough as nails. Secretly, though, she knew he was sweet and thoughtful. She wished that she could have a boyfriend like him. _Wait, what am I thinking? I'm not interested in Kishinuma… right?_

By this point, they had all finished their cookies. "I'm going to throw out this plastic bag," Naomi announced, wiping thoughts of Yoshiki from her mind.

"Uh, I'll go with you!" Satoshi blurted out. When they all looked at him, he tried to cover up. "Er, I have… this thing… I have to throw out…" Yoshiki smirked as Ayumi frowned.

"Okay, Satoshi-kun," Naomi agreed tentatively. What was this all about?

* * *

**Reviews are welcome. (I will respond to them with personal messages.) If you have _any_ feedback whatsoever (except nonconstructive hate) I'd love to hear it.  
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	2. Conflicting Confessions

**Thank you all _so much_ for over 200 views, not to mention 7 reviews! I hope that last chapter wasn't too boring to read.**

**I'm going to try my best to write equal amounts of Ayushiki and Satomi, but to all the various shippers out there, no ships are going to be immediately apparent. Just like in real life, no one will have perfect relationships, nor will they get together right away. Hey, it wouldn't be interesting if they did!**

**Also, it isn't likely that I can upload a new chapter every day. I'm almost done writing chapter three right now, although I have chapters four, five, and six planned out.**

**I'm really excited about this story and I hope you are too. Without further ado, here's the some of the drama you've been looking for!**

* * *

After Naomi tossed the plastic bag in the trash, she turned to Satoshi. "Aren't you going to throw out… whatever it is you're going to throw out?" He shook his head and took her hand, surprising her.

"I don't have anything to throw out," he said softly. "Actually, I made that up so that we could be alone for a few minutes… because I have to tell you something." Naomi stared at him blankly. She hadn't put the pieces together. "I want to tell you -" anxiety rose in his throat, blocking the words. He tried again. "I want you to know that - that I really like you, Naomi. A - and I have for a long time." He waited for her to respond, and fidgeted nervously when she didn't. Her eyes were wide, her perfect pink lips slightly parted in surprise. Emotion welled up inside him as he looked at her and he pulled her closer, leaning in. He wanted to taste those soft lips so badly. They were about to touch when Naomi pushed him away.

"H - Huh?" Satoshi felt worry clawing at his heart.

She stared at him with sadness in her eyes. "I - I just… I'm not sure I can be in a relationship right now. Not with -" She cut herself off. _Not with you_, was what she had almost said. It was time to ad-lib, and quickly. "Not with everything that's happened. You know…"

Satoshi felt as if his heart had shattered. He had spent so many sleepless nights trying to work up to this… Today, with newfound confidence, he had been sure that she would return his feelings. His world was crashing down around him. He wanted to say so many things, to scream, to cry, to shake her and demand to know what was wrong with him, why she couldn't love him, but all that came out was a strangled "Oh."

Naomi drew back further. "'_Oh'_?" What kind of response was that?

His mind was working in slow motion. Finally, a few more words came to him. "Um. Sorry."

She felt terrible. Didn't she like Satoshi? She should have wanted this. It made no sense for her to reject him - but at the same time, part of her thought she had made the right decision. There were tears in her eyes. "No, _I'm _sorry, Satoshi. I… I need to go home now." She started running, not letting herself look back.

He watched her go, wanting to call her back, to chase after her. _Maybe it's for the best_, he told himself, but he didn't believe it.

When they saw Naomi running away, Yoshiki and Ayumi leapt to their feet and rushed over to their heartbroken friend. They both knew what had happened; they saw Satoshi leaning in for a kiss, and Naomi pushing him away. However, where Yoshiki saw a disaster, Ayumi saw an opportunity.

As soon as they reached him, Ayumi wrapped him in a hug, patting his back. "I'm sorry, Satoshi-kun… It'll be okay," she murmured consolingly.

Satoshi was too upset to put on a brave face. Tears ran down his cheeks, leaving glistening trails. Somewhere in the back of his mind, it registered that Ayumi had called him by his first name, but he didn't care. He needed comfort, and would accept it no matter who it came from. Ayumi grinned triumphantly over Satoshi's shoulder.

Yoshiki watched his crush holding his best friend tightly. In his heart, jealousy battled with pity towards his friend. He turned away, wanting to comfort Satoshi but deciding that Ayumi had it under control. _She wouldn't have done that if it were me..._

"I'll walk you home, Satoshi," Ayumi suggested, pulling away but taking hold of his hand.

Satoshi sniffed loudly. "…Okay."

Yoshiki felt like screaming in frustration. He didn't live near enough to Ayumi and Satoshi to walk with them; it wouldn't make sense. But he had the nagging feeling that he needed to be there with them. He shook it off and said "I guess I'll see you when I see you."

"Bye, Kishinuma-kun," Ayumi called as she and Satoshi started towards home.

Yoshiki hesitated for a moment at the park gate. _I don't want to leave her alone with him…_

* * *

As they walked, Ayumi slipped her arm into the crook of Satoshi's elbow. "Do you want to talk to me about anything, Mochida-kun?" she asked. She had gone back to calling him by his last name. She didn't want to push it and scare him off.

"Mm…" Satoshi made an indecisive sound. "I guess so."

"Tell me everything," Ayumi purred encouragingly.

"I told Naomi that I… er, liked her a lot. And then I, um, tried to kiss her. But she pushed me away… She said she couldn't be in a relationship… And then she left." Tears were threatening to spill from his eyes again.

"That's just cruel," Ayumi gasped. "I would _never _do that, Mochida-kun."

He looked at her in confusion. What was she saying?

Ayumi took a deep breath, ready to confess. Surely after Naomi rejected him, he would accept her with open arms.

Before any words could come out of her mouth, a hand clamped over it. She let out a muffled shriek. Something cold pressed against her temple. Her heartbeat sped up, pounding in her chest.

"Give me everything or the girl dies," a gruff voice growled from behind her. Her breathing quickened. Satoshi was staring at her captor, ashen and wide-eyed with horror. He didn't move.

"Are you deaf? Hand over your valuables!" The criminal was becoming agitated. Still, Satoshi stood frozen. Ayumi was about to hyperventilate. She sent him a desperate look that said, "Just do what he asks!"

The robber pressed the gun harder into her head. She heard his finger touch the trigger. "I'm warning you…"

A small whimper escaped her lips, muffled by her captor's hand. _Isn't Mochida going to _do_ something? Is he just going to let me die?_

Suddenly, something happened to her captor. He fell backward. The pressure of the gun was lifted and Ayumi stumbled away, towards Satoshi. She turned to see Yoshiki grappling with a stocky, tattooed man who resembled a bulldog. The teenager's arms were wrapped around his neck, choking the breath out of him, as the criminal clawed and beat at Yoshiki.

"Kishinuma-kun!" she screamed with surprise. The gun went off. Ayumi couldn't tell what had happened until she saw Yoshiki double over in pain and fall to the ground. The criminal had gone limp from lack of oxygen just after pulling the trigger.

"Mochida! You have to call 911!" Ayumi screamed at her friend as she rushed to Yoshiki's side, tears falling from her eyes. Satoshi seemed to snap out of his trance and pulled out his cell phone.

"Hello, my name is Satoshi Mochida. Right now I'm on -" he checked the street sign - "the corner of Holly Circle and Sycamore Drive. We were just held up and my friend was shot. The criminal is here, unconscious. We need an ambulance and the police, quick!"

All of this spilled from his mouth so fast that he was surprised when the person on the other end of the line said in a calm voice, "I've alerted the police. Please stay calm and don't leave that spot. They will arrive very soon."

Satoshi let out a huge sigh of relief and knelt beside Ayumi. She was holding pressure on Yoshiki''s wound. The bullet had pierced his midsection, and there was no telling how deep it had gone. Blood was everywhere. His friend was lying on his back, his contorted expression showing how much pain he was in. It took the strength of his entire being to not scream in agony. Yoshiki was close to losing consciousness.

"Stay with me, bro," Satoshi murmured, his voice breaking as he held his best friend's hand. He wasn't even sure that Yoshiki could hear him. Salty tears dripped from his face to Yoshiki's t-shirt.

"Don't… mess up my shirt…" Yoshiki rasped, the shadow of a smirk playing on his lips. A tiny trickle of blood was in the corner of his mouth. His eyes were closed, but he was awake.

"It's pretty messed up already," Satoshi said with a sad smile. Those bloodstains were never going to come out. _How is Yoshiki making jokes at a time like this?_

Ayumi was crying, too, her hands never leaving Yoshiki's wound, where they were pressing down hard. If she could stop the blood, he might live. "Kishinuma-kun," she sobbed, "don't die!"

"I'm working on it," he grunted laboriously as his face twisted in pain. The sound of sirens reached their ears.

"Oh, thank goodness they're here!" Ayumi breathed as the ambulance appeared, flanked by three police cars. The police leaped out of their vehicles, two of them handcuffing the still-unconscious criminal and packing him into the backseat of one of the cars. Another bent down by Ayumi and Satoshi and began questioning them as paramedics lifted Yoshiki onto a stretcher. He had drifted into unconsciousness now, and all his friends could do was pray as the paramedics loaded him into the ambulance.

"Are you related to the victim?" the police officer asked them.

"No, but we're his friends," Satoshi answered while Ayumi sniffled.

"Then it would probably be best if you didn't ride in the ambulance with him," the officer said. "I can drive you to the hospital in my car if you'd like, or I can drive you home."

"It would be great if you could drive us to the hospital, but could we call our parents first to tell them what happened?" Satoshi asked.

"Please do." The officer stepped away to give them some privacy while they spoke to their parents.

Ayumi's mother picked up first. "Mom, it's Ayumi," she said.

"Where have you been?" her mother demanded. "I was worried about you! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Mom, but we got held up and Kishinuma was shot." She heard a gasp from the other end of the line. "He's being taken to the hospital now, and Satoshi and I want to go there. Is that okay?"

Her mother was quiet for a moment. "Go, but come back right after. You can go back tomorrow, after all."

"Thank you, Mom. I'll see you soon," Ayumi said.

"Bye, sweetheart… Stay safe." They both hung up. Meanwhile, Satoshi was having a similar conversation with his mother.

"Bye, Mom," he was saying as Ayumi tucked her phone back into her bag. The two got into the police car and got out at the local hospital, ten minutes later. Ayumi had texted Naomi to inform her of what had happened. Her phone beeped with the reply:

_Oh my god! I'm on my way!_

Ayumi glanced at Satoshi hesitantly after reading the message. It made sense that Naomi would want to see their injured friend, but would the tension between the two cause trouble?

When they reached the waiting room, a kind nurse informed them that Yoshiki had been immediately rushed into surgery and would not be out for an hour or two.

"That's okay, we can kill time," Satoshi said as he made himself comfortable on a couch. His shaking hands, folded in his lap, betrayed his calm demeanor.

Ayumi sat beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. Almost automatically, his arm snaked around her so that her cheek was against his chest. This time, she was seeking his touch for comfort, not for love. "Mochida-kun, do you think he'll be okay?" Her voice was husky with unshed tears. A lump rose in her throat; she wouldn't be able to say any more without sobbing and wailing.

Something inside of Satoshi sparked at her touch. He tried to ignore it. "I'm sure he'll be fine," the boy murmured softly, trying to convince himself as much as her.

Ayumi broke down and sobbed into Satoshi's shirt. He let her cry, figuring that it was better to get it all out. Gently, he stroked her head with his free arm, fingering her silky pigtails. A small bittersweet smile graced his features as he held her, realizing that she had been about to confess when chaos ensued.

Maybe he could give her a chance.

* * *

**Ooh, I had forgotten how much action was in this chapter! Again, reviews are always welcome. I love to hear what you have to say! Were you surprised? :3**


	3. A Small Hospital Room

**Wow, over 600 views! O.O**

**I'd like to point out, again, that I do support both Ayushiki and Satomi, but just like in other fanfictions, they're not going to get together right away. I don't want anyone to be upset. Hang in there! :)**

**Here's another chapter for all of you! This one is a little shorter (and less exciting) than they usually will be. I'm not sure if you've noticed the pattern, but the chapters sort of alternate between being really action-packed and being more light-hearted and calm.**

* * *

Naomi arrived ten minutes later and entered the waiting room. Inside, Ayumi was sitting beside Satoshi, leaning against him. A tiny spark of anger flared up at seeing the two together, but she pushed it down, writing it off as the aftereffects of a two-year crush. _I'm over him, _she thought firmly. _It was just a stupid crush_. The teenage girl crossed the waiting room in a few strides and sat down near her friends.

"How is he?" Naomi asked instead of saying hello.

Ayumi jerked away from Satoshi, a blush rising in her cheeks. "Oh, uh, he's -" She recovered herself, exhaling forcefully. "He's in surgery right now. He should be out soon."

"I hope he's all right," the taller girl said worriedly.

"If you had seen him back in... that place, you'd know that Kishinuma is a real survivor," Ayumi reassured her. "He managed to protect the both of us, even though I was practically hyperventilating." She smiled slightly. Until now, she hadn't fully realized that Yoshiki had done all that for her. He was a good friend…

Naomi gave a short, humorless laugh. "I guess we're all technically survivors…" She didn't like to think about "that place". "That place" had killed Seiko.

All Ayumi could offer was a small, sad smile. _They_ were survivors, but what about those they had lost? _Yui-sensei, Shinohara, Suzumoto, Morishige… Didn't you deserve to survive?_

Satoshi sensed that the conversation was quickly taking a turn for the worse, so he jumped in, trying to ignore the pangs of sadness in his chest. "Do you guys want to do anything to pass the time? I have a game on my phone that we can all play."

Both girls turned to look at him for a moment, slightly confused. They had nearly forgotten his presence there. "Um, okay," Ayumi agreed tentatively.

They had been playing for ten minutes, none of them really invested in the game, when a girl slightly younger than them rushed in. "Have you seen a tall boy with blond hair in here?" she asked them in a panicked voice. "He's about your age, he - they told me that he got hurt!"

Satoshi placed his hands on her shoulders. "Calm down. I think I know who you're looking for. His name is Yoshiki Kishinuma, right?"

She nodded furiously. "Yes, yes! He's my brother. I'm Miki Kishinuma." She took some deep breaths, then sighed. "What has he gotten himself into?" she murmured to herself.

"You're his sister?" Naomi and Ayumi exclaimed in unison, with matching tones of disbelief. Yoshiki had never mentioned any siblings. Besides, this girl looked completely different; she had reddish brown hair and a petite figure. Her eyes were closer to green than grey, although they had the same sharpness as their injured friend.

Miki smiled slightly, a little nervous in front of these strangers. They hadn't even introduced themselves! "Er - may I ask how you three know my brother?" she inquired softly.

Satoshi smacked his forehead. "Oh, jeez! Sorry. I'm Satoshi Mochida, Yoshiki's best friend. This is Naomi Nakashima and Ayumi Shinozaki." He gestured to each as he said their names.

"Nice to meet you!" Naomi said, smiling warmly. Miki acknowledged her with a nod.

"Do you think we can visit Yoshiki soon?" the younger girl asked in a small voice. _Poor onii-chan…_

"Of course!" Ayumi said cheerfully. "As soon as he gets out of surgery and spends a little time in the recovery room, he'll be okay and we can see him." They all settled down to wait in silence.

Sure enough, after about an hour and a half, a nurse approached the little group. "Are you all here to see Mr. Kishinuma?" she inquired in a gentle voice. Everyone sat straight up in their seats.

"Yes. Is he awake?" Ayumi asked hopefully.

The nurse smiled. "He's awake. The surgery was successful, and he should be back on his feet after a few weeks."

The tension in the room dissipated. "Thank goodness," Miki breathed, closing her eyes as a wave of relief washed over her.

"Now, are any of you related to Mr. Kishinuma?" the nurse asked.

"I'm his sister," Miki replied, rising from her seat.

The nurse nodded. "Good, good. Have you informed your parents of the incident?"

She fidgeted nervously. "Er - yes…"

"Really?" The nurse was skeptical of Miki's unsure tone. "Don't they want to see him?"

"Well… No, actually." Miki was very uncomfortable now. "They… don't get along very well."

The nurse looked as if she was going to ask why, then thought better of it. "Hm. All right then. You come with me, Miss Kishinuma." She glanced at the other three. "You kids will have to wait just a while longer. Relatives first."

"Okay," Satoshi agreed. As long as they got to see Yoshiki, another twenty minutes didn't matter.

Miki followed the nurse out of the waiting room and down a long corridor. She tried not to look into the rooms that branched off from the hallway. People needed their privacy. The nurse finally stopped in front of one of the doorways.

"He's in here," she said in a hushed voice. "Keep in mind that he's just gone through a lot; he'll probably be very tired."

Miki nodded and thanked her before entering her brother's hospital room. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light; she supposed that a nurse had turned it off, thinking that he would go to sleep for a while.

"Yoshiki-kun?" she said into the darkness. She saw the outline of a bed across the room.

"Miki?" came a hoarse voice from the bed. He coughed to clear his throat. "Turn a light on, why don't you?"

"Are you sure? It might hurt your eyes," Miki said uncertainly.

"Pff. Just turn them on." She smiled to herself; it was her brother, all right. She flicked a switch by the door and the fluorescent white lights flickered on.

A few feet away from her was her brother, propped up in an adjustable hospital bed. He blinked a few times before his eyes adjusted, then smirked at Miki. "Oh, the agony," he said dryly.

"Shut up," Miki said with that quirky grin he loved so much. She strode over to him and sat on the edge of the bed. "I was worried about you. How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," Yoshiki replied simply. "I mean, they got the bullet out, and fixed my kidney or my gallbladder or whatever the hell it was, but let's just say that I'm not quite 'good as new'. Plus, you know, this bed sucks."

Miki smiled and bounced a little on the mattress. "It's not so bad… Anyway, your friends are out there. Once I leave, they'll come in to see you."

"Ah, that's good." He was silent for a moment. "Our parents…?" Miki shook her head. She saw his jaw tighten, but his expression didn't change. "…Good," Yoshiki said bitterly.

_Maybe someday, things will get better between them, _Miki thought, not really believing herself. _Maybe someday, we'll be a family again._

"Well, the doctors say I'll be out of the hospital in a few weeks," Yoshiki said, changing the subject.

"That's great!" Miki responded with a wide smile. Mischief glinted in her grey-green eyes. "I'll bring you some more _casserole_," she suggested.

"Not the casserole!" Yoshiki groaned dramatically, throwing his arm up to his forehead with the back of his hand on his temple. "_Anything_ but the casserole!"

"It's left over from our house. Mom thinks she can cook," Miki joked. "The bright side of moving out is that _you _don't have to suffer through that kind of torture!"

"Or other kinds of torture," Yoshiki muttered, almost to himself.

"Well, I think it's time to let your friends visit. I'll come to see you tomorrow, okay?" Miki said, standing up.

"Cool. See you…"

As his sister left the room, Yoshiki sighed, then winced. He was in more pain than he cared to admit, and now he had to put on a show for his friends, too. He did want to see them, though.

"_KISHINUMA-KUN!_" came a happy cry from the doorway.

* * *

**Originally, the visit with his friends was supposed to be part of this chapter, but I thought it would have been too long, so I split it into two. Tell me what you guys think: should I make them separate chapters or one single chapter?**


	4. More Than a Crush

**Greetings, readers! Thank you for over 1,000 views! Wow! I'm back with chapter four!**

**This chapter is a lot shorter than usual. Sorry about that, but like I said, chapters three and four were originally one chapter that I split into two. But I think you'll like this chapter. You'll see why after you read it! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Corpse Party.**

* * *

"Shinozaki!" Yoshiki exclaimed with a smile as Ayumi and his other friends entered the room and sat down in chairs around him. Part of him had hoped that she'd been alone. "So you're all right. I was kind of worried that you'd been hurt by that criminal…"

Ayumi blushed slightly. "Kishinuma, don't be ridiculous. Why should you be worried about me? After all, you were the one who was shot."

"Heh. I guess that doesn't really make sense. But I worry about you anyway." He stared into her eyes for a moment. She looked away, her face getting even redder.

Naomi jumped into the conversation hastily. "Thank goodness you're okay," she said, silently wishing that Ayumi would disappear. The girl noticed that Yoshiki was shirtless and blushed as she took in the sharp lines of his collarbone and his broad, muscled shoulders. A bandage covered the lower half of his torso. _He's so much more… manly than Satoshi! Even though Satoshi is so sweet. Gah! Stop thinking of that! You had your chance! _She shook her thoughts away and brought her attention back to the conversation at hand.

Satoshi nodded. "For a moment back there, I really thought that you -" he broke off, not wanting to go down that road. After all, the surgery was successful. Yoshiki's life wasn't in danger anymore.

"Let's talk about something more cheerful, shall we?" Yoshiki said with a strained smile.

"We have school on Monday," Ayumi said brightly.

"Not _that_," everyone groaned.

"Hmph. Well, _I _like school," she said stubbornly.

Yoshiki smiled at her. She looked so beautiful, even in the stark hospital lights. "Shinozaki, you're really something, you know that?" He had intended for it to sound like a joke, but it had come out honest. Too honest.

Just as Ayumi was opening her mouth to reply, with color in her cheeks, a tall male doctor entered the room. "Hello, Kishinuma. These are your friends, I presume?"

"Yes, Doctor Hashimoto."

"Well, as you all probably know, Kishinuma here lost a lot of blood. If any of you share his blood type, would you be willing to donate a small amount?"

"What blood type do you have, Yoshiki?" Satoshi asked his friend.

"Type A."

"Crap. I have type O," Satoshi said miserably. "Sorry I can't help…"

"I have type A!" Ayumi and Naomi announced at the same time. "_I'll _donate," they both said, looking at each other.

"Er - we only need one donation," Doctor Hashimoto said uncomfortably. The girls' red hot gazes turned to him and he flinched.

"Why don't you just let me donate, Nakashima?" Ayumi asked with an undercurrent of danger in her voice.

"I want to help my friend! Why shouldn't I donate?" Naomi hissed.

"You don't need to fight over it," Yoshiki mumbled. He _was_ feeling a little light-headed, come to think of it. _I hope they decide who's donating soon, or I might pass out._

Naomi glanced at Yoshiki's pale face and decided to be the better woman. "Fine, class rep. _You_ donate," she said cheerfully with a smile. Ayumi looked surprised for a moment, but she quickly covered it up.

"Good. What do I have to do?" the shorter girl asked Doctor Hashimoto.

"Come with me," he replied with a relieved smile. Ayumi nodded and left the room with the doctor, leaving Naomi, Satoshi, and Yoshiki alone.

"Sorry about that, Kishinuma," Naomi said apologetically.

"It's fine," Yoshiki responded. He was a bit confused. Why had Ayumi been so insistent upon donating blood? _Is Shinozaki finally taking notice of me? _He smiled slightly, then frowned. _Wait a second. Is Nakashima interested in me, too? _He tried to ignore that thought, but failed. _She did just reject Satoshi, after all. But doesn't she know that I like Shinozaki? _Yoshiki wasn't familiar with the feeling of being wanted, especially not by his best friend's crush. _I wouldn't do that to Satoshi, anyway…_

"Yoshiki? Earth to Yoshiki," Satoshi was saying. The blonde-haired boy suddenly snapped out of his trance.

"Wha - oh, sorry," he said sheepishly. "I was just thinking."

"About...?" Naomi prompted him.

"N - Nothing!" Yoshiki replied defensively, blushing.

Naomi giggled. "Okay, then! Whatever you say!"

Satoshi glanced at each of them. Was something going on between those two? Was this why Naomi had rejected him? He felt a flash of anger at his best friend that he would move in on Naomi when he _knew _that Satoshi liked her. _It doesn't matter anymore, anyway, _he thought furiously. _She doesn't share my feelings for her. But if Yoshiki is trying to move in on _my _crush… Well, two can play at that game._

"Do you feel okay?" Naomi asked concernedly. She felt Satoshi's eyes on her and her usual blush crept along her neck. _Stop that!_

"As okay as one can feel in this situation, I guess," Yoshiki answered with a shrug.

"Which is not very okay, I assume," Satoshi added, patting his friend's arm.

"Right."

"Aw, that sucks," Naomi said sympathetically. Then her voice took on a flirtatious edge. "Hey, maybe when you're better, you and I can -"

"Naomi!" Satoshi interrupted her. She felt a familiar shiver as he said her name. "Could I speak to you outside for a moment?"

The girl stared at him. "Um… Okay…?" Yoshiki watched them leave curiously. She followed him out into the hallway, then into an empty room.

"Naomi, what are you doing? You know that Yoshiki likes Shinozaki!" Fury blazed in his eyes.

She glared back with the same heat. "Satoshi, you don't control my life! I can do what I want. You don't own me!"

"I don't own you, but can't I care about my friends' wellbeing? You're going to break his heart, and -" _And mine._

"Maybe I won't! Maybe he'll forget about his stupid little crush on class rep when he -"

Satoshi silenced her with his lips. Automatically, she slipped her arms around his neck and tilted her head to the side, deepening the kiss. Part of her wanted to resist, but her heart said otherwise. His lips were as soft as she had envisioned them. He moved them down her neck, by her ear, then back to her mouth, kissing all the while. His touch left blazing trails of heat along her skin. His hands were resting on her hips, her fingers were winding through his hair. They stood there, tasting each other, for what seemed like hours. Then they broke away.

"I hate you," Naomi whispered half-heartedly, caught up in his warm brown eyes. She felt breathless but airy at the same time.

"I love you, too," Satoshi replied with a smile. She turned away, annoyed, but he knew that he had bridged the gap between them. However long she wanted to pretend that the connection between them wasn't real… he could wait.

* * *

**How did I do? Enough Satomi for ya? :3 Sorry if my kiss descriptions weren't long enough, I feel a little uncomfortable writing multiple paragraphs about it. If any of you have advice for that kind of writing (outside of making it a lemon, haha) that would be much appreciated.**

**Reviews are always welcomed and encouraged!**

**If y'all are lucky, chapter five will be out tomorrow. I have about a third of it written. :3**

**(UPDATE: I'm switching chapter five with chapter six, which I still need to write, because I know you guys need some Ayushiki. But since I'm literally just starting the Ayushiki chapter, it may not be ready to be uploaded by tomorrow. Sorry!)**


	5. The Dating Game

**You lucky readers, you, I finished writing this chapter in time! Good thing I have been doing NOTHING lately. Unfortunately, from Thursday onwards, I'm going to have a lot less time to write. Just a warning for all you lovely readers.**

**Here is some much needed Ayushiki! (For you, PorpoisEagle! :3)**

* * *

A few weeks had passed since Yoshiki's hospitalization. He was out of the hospital and the doctors said that he had fully recovered. There was a small silvery pink scar on his stomach, but besides that, he was as good as new.

It was a Monday, and Yoshiki's first day back at school. He was ten minutes late.

"Kishinuma-kun, are you seriously late on your first day back?" Ayumi scolded him as he sat down at his desk. "You really have no respect for school rules, do you? Or do you just think that the whole world waits for _you_ to start?"

"Shinozaki, _you've _been waiting for me, haven't you?" Yoshiki said with a lazy grin as he gestured to her bare desk. "You didn't start your work yet."

Ayumi blushed furiously. "I wasn't _waiting _for you. I just... hadn't gotten around to it yet!"

"Whatever you say." With that, Yoshiki pulled his textbook out of his bag and started his classwork.

* * *

When the bell rang for lunch, the four friends met at their usual table. Ayumi was still fuming about her conversation with Yoshiki. Satoshi was sitting next to Naomi. They weren't official, but it was obvious to everyone that they had something going on.

As Yoshiki slid onto the bench beside Ayumi, who immediately scooted an inch or two away from him, he smiled at everyone. "How about we all go to the movies tonight?" he suggested innocently.

"I'm up for it," Satoshi agreed. "How about you, Naomi?"

"Sure," the short-haired brunette replied.

"It can be a sort of… double date," Yoshiki added smoothly. Ayumi blanched.

"D - date? Ah, I don't think -"

"Why not?" said Satoshi, winking at Yoshiki conspiratorially. "Me and Naomi, and you and Yoshiki!"

"But -"

"Don't you want to go to the movies, class rep?" Naomi asked, getting in on the act.

"Er - yes, but -"

"So it's settled!" Yoshiki exclaimed grandly. "Let's go see that new horror movie. It's playing at seven."

Ayumi stared at her friends blankly. Had she just been conned into a date with Yoshiki? She wasn't sure what to think about that. _But the more important question is,_ she reasoned as her eyes widened, _what am I going to _wear_?_

* * *

At half past six, Ayumi heard a knock on her door. _It must be Yoshiki! _"I'll be there in a moment," she called down the stairs.

"Oooh, who is _that_?" Hinoe asked mischievously. Then she gasped. "Is Ayumi going on a _date_?" She rushed down the stairs.

"Hinoe, you'd better not open -" Ayumi's warning was in vain. Her sister swung the front door open.

"Hello, there," she greeted their visitor, who was wearing a black v-neck and green pants. He was tall and handsome, with bleach-blonde hair and sharp grey eyes. It was no wonder Ayumi liked him! "You must be Mr. Kishinuma!" Hinoe exclaimed delightedly.

"Yes. Are you Shinozaki's sister?" Yoshiki asked with a slight smile. He looked composed, but Hinoe sensed nervousness in his aura.

"Mm-hm! I'm Hinoe. Nice to meet you!" They shook hands. "Ayumi-chan is still getting ready. She must be going all-out for you!"

Yoshiki blushed. "It's sort of casual," he lied. "As - as friends…" Hinoe didn't need her sixth sense to see right through him.

Just then, Ayumi descended the stairs. She wasn't wearing anything fancy - they were just going to the movies, after all - but to Yoshiki, even in her soft orange sweatshirt and jeans, she looked like Cinderella on her way to the ball.

"Wow," Yoshiki breathed, too quiet for anyone to hear. Of course, that word came to mind whenever he saw her, but tonight, she was his. _In a completely non-sexual way, obviously, _Yoshiki thought, trying to prevent the color from rising in his cheeks.

"Uh. Hi, Shinozaki," Yoshiki greeted her, snapping out of his daze. "All ready to go?"

"Yeah," Ayumi said, pulling at her sweatshirt. Did she look okay? She stood in the doorway and turned to her sister.

"I'll probably be back around ten. Bye, Hinoe!"

"Have fun - but not _too _much fun!" Hinoe said with a giggle. Both of the teenagers reddened.

"Let's go," Ayumi said quickly, walking out onto the stoop. Hinoe shut the door behind them, still smiling. Sometimes, she loved to mess with her younger sister.

A beat-up Jeep was sitting in the driveway. "Is that yours?" Ayumi asked, surprised.

"I'm borrowing it from a friend… I didn't want to make you walk," Yoshiki said uncertainly. Was it better to walk than to drive in such a piece of junk? "Um, would you prefer to walk?"

"No, this is perfectly fine," Ayumi replied with a reassuring smile. He opened the door for her, then trotted around the front to the driver's side.

It smelled a little strange in the car, but Ayumi decided not to say anything. Yoshiki seemed to realize it anyway, because he muttered an indistinct apology under his breath, feeling embarrassed.

They spent most of the short ride in silence, each of them occasionally making awkward small talk. Both were secretly worrying about how they should act. Was it a friendly date? Or a date-date? Should Yoshiki put his arm around her while they watched the movie? Should Ayumi cuddle up to him at scary parts? They were over-thinking the matter so much that neither of them was enjoying the date so far.

_I hope it gets less awkward once we get there_, they both thought as he pulled into the movie theater's parking lot. Yoshiki opened the door for her again and they walked into the lobby. Satoshi and Naomi were already there.

"Did you two buy tickets already?" Yoshiki asked. They nodded. "Here, I'll buy yours, Shinozaki," he said to Ayumi, who was looking for her wallet in her bag.

"Oh, you don't -"

He cut her off. "I know. But I'm going to." Yoshiki smiled at her with that half-grin of his that sent tingles down her spine.

"…Okay." _That was a nice gesture, _she thought. _Maybe he's more of a gentleman than I expected._

He bought the tickets. Then everyone went over to the snack counter.

"I'll have a Coke and Twizzlers, please," Naomi said to the man at the register.

"I'm going to have to steal some of those," Satoshi informed her with a grin. To the man, he said, "A Sprite, M&Ms, and a medium popcorn, please."

"Pig," Naomi scoffed, smirking. Satoshi paid for both of them and they went to find seats for the four of them while Yoshiki and Ayumi ordered.

"I'll have a cherry slushy and Skittles, please," said the blond-haired boy.

"Could I please have a water and a small popcorn?" Ayumi asked, assuming that Yoshiki would insist on paying for her.

"Get your money out," Yoshiki told her, straight-faced. When she stared at him, her mouth half-open in surprise, he grinned. "Kidding, kidding."

"Ooh, Kishinuma, you're so annoying!" Ayumi exclaimed, punching him in the arm. It didn't hurt at all. He smirked. She was a firecracker, all right.

When they had gotten their food, they found Satoshi and Naomi in the movie theater, sitting in the back row.

"Why the back?" Ayumi wondered aloud.

"I don't want to annoy anyone," Satoshi answered. "A lot of people don't like having teenagers in front of them. Plus, Naomi loves to talk through movies."

"I do not!" Naomi exclaimed.

Satoshi smiled knowingly. "Just wait and see," he told Ayumi and Yoshiki. The previews were just ending. The teenagers settled into their seats as the movie began.

After a few scares, Ayumi moved closer to Yoshiki. She liked horror movies, but she was also easily scared, and the heat that he was emanating was hard to resist. He slipped his arm around her cautiously, as if she were a woodland creature that could be scared off.

"You're so warm," she murmured. Her left cheek was against his chest.

"I'm not that warm. You're just really cold," Yoshiki asserted, rubbing her shoulder and smiling. They both jumped at another scare. Ayumi grasped his shirt in fear.

Meanwhile, Naomi was whispering to Satoshi for the thirtieth time: "I know I recognize that actor. What's his name again?"

"Shut up and watch the movie," Satoshi shushed her, then stole a kiss.

She blushed in the darkness of the theater. "That's the _real _reason we're in the back row, isn't it?"

"How did you know?" Naomi could sense his grin. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, bringing his lips to her ear. She gasped slightly at the tickle of his mouth on her earlobe.

"Didn't you just tell me to watch the movie?" she breathed as he brought his lips back to hers.

"What movie?"

Ayumi noticed that Naomi and Satoshi were awfully close together, then realized what they were doing with a blush. _Kissing in the movie theater? That's rather rude, isn't it? And why waste money on tickets if you aren't going to pay attention to the movie?_

Yoshiki was watching them too, but with a different thought process altogether. _Should I do that? Would Shinozaki mind? She probably would. _Instead of kissing her, he just tightened his arm around her. She snuggled into him automatically, and he smiled down at the top of her head. _This is enough. For now._

* * *

After the movie ended, Yoshiki was going to drive Ayumi home. Satoshi and Naomi were walking, and as the four split up in the parking lot, Yoshiki could hear the couple arguing about how much Satoshi had eaten.

"Do you think they're official now?" Ayumi asked, her eyes following the pair.

"Considering they were just making out in the movie theater, I'd say yes," Yoshiki replied with a smirk.

Ayumi said nothing. Yoshiki fidgeted uncomfortably. Was she still so obsessed with Satoshi?

They got in the car, and the entire ride home, Ayumi chattered cheerfully about the movie and about the illustrator's club she was thinking of founding. Yoshiki just smiled at her energy and put a word in here and there. When they reached Ayumi's house, he walked her to the door.

"So…" the girl said, rocking back on her heels.

"So," Yoshiki repeated.

"I guess I'll see you -" Ayumi stopped mid-sentence as she became painfully aware of Yoshiki's closeness to her. They were inches away. She could see clearly the way that his platinum hair fell into his eyes, the way that his grey eyes softened when they looked at her, the hard line of his jaw, his soft lips that were heading towards her. _Wait, what?_

Before she could think, Yoshiki tilted her chin up gently and kissed her. It was over too quickly, just a quick peck that left her wanting more. "Goodnight," he said in a hoarse voice that told her that he felt the same.

"Goodnight," Ayumi whispered back. She went into the house and closed the door behind her, leaving Yoshiki to walk back to his borrowed car.

For once, he felt as if he had done something right.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, and sorry for the lack of hot and heavy Ayushiki make-out sessions! :P As always, reviews are welcome. Happy Labor Day!**


	6. You're a Lifesaver

**I'm so sorry for the long delay and the very, very, very short chapter! This week was insanely busy. I'm probably not going to be able to write very often, so I apologize for that. Please enjoy, even though its pretty short.**

**This chapter deals with some sensitive material. If you're easily offended by mentions of suicide, I'd avoid this part.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Corpse Party.**

* * *

Naomi was crying in her bedroom. "Seiko…" she sobbed, "why did you have to die?" Sometimes, the depression just overcame her, and she couldn't ignore it. It was always there, lurking, but on days like this, it seemed to possess her entirely. It felt like Seiko had taken her heart with her when she died, that it was still back in Heavenly Host, never to be recovered.

"It's all my fault," she wailed, clutching her pillow to her as if it was Seiko herself. The case was wet with tears.

Naomi's mother was at work, but if she had been there, it wouldn't have helped. She always tried, of course, but Naomi only ever screamed at her to go away and locked the door. When Naomi was in this state, she didn't want the comfort of anyone except for the one she was crying for.

"I don't want to live in a world where you don't exist," Naomi whispered. She glanced at the pill bottle on her nightstand. "I don't want to be drugged into happiness." She clenched her fists. "I DON'T WANT TO BE ALIVE!" Naomi screamed. "SEIKO, COME GET ME! TAKE ME WITH YOU! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE… alone…" Her voice broke and she collapsed onto the bed. "Seiko…"

All she wanted was to be with Seiko. Images of rope, of knives, of poison - all manner of deadly things danced in her head. "Which one shall I choose?" Naomi mumbled into her pillow. "Which one would Seiko prefer? Ah, yes…" Of course. She would hang herself. It was only fitting, after all.

But as she was rummaging through the closets in her house for some rope, the doorbell rang.

For a moment, Naomi didn't know what the sound meant. She had been in another world, controlled by her despair. As she stood there, the knowledge suddenly came back to her and she jogged to the front door. She would send whoever it was away, then resume her suicide.

"Hello?" she said in a dull voice as she swung the door open. Warm chestnut eyes, messy brown hair, and a sweet smile greeted her.

"Naomi!" Satoshi exclaimed delightedly. "So you are home."

"What is it, Satoshi?" Naomi asked in the same monotone.

When he looked closer, Satoshi saw that the girl's cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes were puffy. "Naomi… Are you okay?" He knew how stupid the question was, but he wanted her to open up to him. To know she could trust him.

Naomi sniffed loudly. "Um. I'll be fine."'

"Can I come in?" Satoshi asked gently.

_No. _"Okay." Naomi found herself leading her friend into her house and sitting down across from him in the living room.

"Why don't you tell me what's wrong?" Satoshi said softly. "Is it… Shinohara?"

Naomi flinched, and he knew he was on the mark. He stood and went over to her, sitting beside her and rubbing her back. At first, she shrunk from his touch, but after a moment, she relaxed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he murmured.

"What is there to talk about?" Naomi whispered hoarsely. A lump rose in her throat, restricting her speech. She was going to lose it any second now.

Satoshi was silent for a moment. Then, he asked quietly, "Do you want a shoulder to cry on?"

Naomi burst into tears, nodding her head furiously as she sobbed and hiccuped.

"Come here." She obeyed, leaning to the side so that her head landed in his lap, facing away from him. She curled up in the fetal position and gripped the leg of his shorts tightly in her hands. Gently, Satoshi stroked her hair, smiling sadly down at her as she wailed.

After Naomi had cried herself out, Satoshi bent over her and kissed her tear-stained cheek. She rolled over so she was looking up at him. He smiled at her wide-eyed stare, like that of a shy deer, and bent to kiss her again. When she kissed back, he slid his arms under her back and lifted her so she was sitting on his lap. With his thumb, he wiped the tears from her face and pushed her hair out of her eyes. They looked at each other.

"Thank you," Naomi whispered, touching his cheek.

"It was nothing," he murmured.

"No - it was everything," she clarified. The short-haired girl hopped to her feet and grabbed Satoshi's hand, pulling him up. "Before you came," Naomi began tentatively, "I was - I was about to -" She broke off, not wanting to finish the thought. Satoshi felt horror freeze his heart, but tried not to let it show.

"It's okay now," he assured her. "You don't need to think about that any more. If you ever feel like this… Just give me a call and I'll help you sort it out."

"Okay," Naomi agreed.

"Let's go do something fun, okay?" Satoshi suggested. "What if we call Yoshiki and Ayumi and go bowling?"

"Sure!" Naomi perked up. "Let's go right now!" She was eager to move on from the day's ordeal.

So they went. The storm clouds had passed.

* * *

**Reviews are welcome, as always. Should the next chapter be the bowling trip? Let's have a vote!**


	7. Three Strikes and You're A Turkey?

**Hi, everyone! Sorry for the long wait. I decided to split this chapter into two because I don't think I'll be finished with it today, and I just wanted to give you guys something to read. I really hope you don't mind these large gaps between uploads, but I promise to write as often as I can. During the week, I pretty much have no time between school and sports and homework and you know, eating and sleeping and that sort of thing. Believe me, if I could stop eating and sleeping without dying in order to write for y'all, I would. :3 Anyway, enjoy this chapter. Thanks to shannonb7593 and Dark Garfield 10 for some of the ideas for this part.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Corpse Party.**

* * *

Ayumi lay on her bed, touching her lips where they had been kissed a few nights before. She blushed just thinking about how the brief touch of Yoshiki's lips had sent tingles down her spine. The pleasant shivers made her want to kiss him again, to knock him onto the grass of her lawn and press every part of her so close to him that they would merge into one being. She wanted to feel his breath by her ear, to slip her hands under his shirt and stroke the fine, light hairs on his back, to know every part of him. She wanted to own him, to have him belong to her.

The girl blushed in the privacy of her room at these thoughts that she was having. Ayumi still didn't understand why she was so head-over-heels for Yoshiki, who she'd never given a second thought. Satoshi was the kind, shy boy she'd been crushing on for ages, while Yoshiki… Well, Yoshiki wasn't.

But recently, she'd noticed little bits of sweetness in every gesture that he made towards her, moments of thoughtfulness that belied his tough, careless demeanor. They had once been easy to miss, but now they were so obvious that they made her feel guilty for treating him the way she used to. Holding the door, giving her his jacket, comforting her during horror movies, asking how she was doing; things that were more special because they were aimed only at her. Satoshi had always been openly kind, but he had never displayed anything more than his general kindness towards her. In fact, he treated her just like everyone else: with a detached politeness.

"When there's something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call?" Her Ghostbusters ringtone interrupted Ayumi's musings.

"Ghostbusters!" She answered the song's question with a grin as she grabbed the phone from her nightstand. "Hello?"

"Hey, class rep!" Naomi Nakashima's voice greeted her. "You're on speaker!"

"Hi, Shinozaki," Satoshi's voice said.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" Normally, Ayumi would have been jealous that Naomi and Satoshi were hanging out together, but she had moved on.

"We're going bowling!" the two said in unison. Naomi giggled. "Wanna come?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure!" Ayumi agreed. "I was just hanging out in my room anyway."

"Cool! So, listen… Naomi's cell phone is almost out of charge. Could you call Yoshiki and invite him?" Satoshi said mischievously. Naomi stifled another giggle.

Ayumi blushed. "Er - don't you have your phone, Mochida-kun?"

"He left it at home," Naomi piped up. Satoshi snickered.

"I'm sure you can _persuade_ him to come," he told her. She could sense his evil grin from his tone.

"But -"

"Oh, _no_!" Naomi exclaimed with fake dramatics. "My phone is about to run out of battery! Bye!" _Click._

"Hey!" Ayumi protested, but it was too late. The dial tone buzzed in her ear and she put down her phone. "I bet both of them have their phones," she grumbled. "They know what they're doing." Reluctantly, she dialed Yoshiki's number, her heartbeat speeding up in anticipation of hearing his deep voice.

Ayumi heard him pick up. "Hello?"

"Hi, Kishinuma-kun," she greeted him cheerfully, plastering a smile onto her face even though he couldn't see it. Thankfully, he couldn't see her blush, either.

"Shinozaki?" As always, he sounded pleasantly surprised to hear from her. "What's up?"

"Mochida and Nakashima invited you and I to go bowling," Ayumi explained. "They just called me."

"How come _you're_ calling me?" Yoshiki wanted to know.

"Ah, um, Nakashima's phone was almost dead and - uh, M-Mochida left his at home," she answered him very unconvincingly.

There was a long silence on the end of the line. Ayumi was about to hang up, thinking that they had a bad connection, when he spoke. "O-_kay_, then," Yoshiki said cautiously. Then he seemed to decide to let that one go. "I'll come. Are they going to pick us up, or are we meeting them there?"

"I don't know," she replied, relieved that the conversation was continuing normally.

"I guess I'll walk there," Yoshiki said. "Are you walking?"

"Probably."

"All right, then. I'll see you!"

"Not if I see you first," Ayumi joked.

"You're on!"

They hung up, both with fluttery feelings in their chests.

* * *

By half past three, Satoshi, Naomi, Ayumi, and Yoshiki had all reached the bowling alley and were setting up a game. They were messing around by putting strange names into the computer.

"Boys versus girls," Ayumi announced once they had started the game. "Whoever loses has to do whatever the winners say." She had chosen a pink and purple bowling ball that was slightly lighter than the others. It embarrassed her a little that she wasn't strong enough to lift some of the heavier balls, but she tried to ignore it. After all, she could make up for it by winning.

_It's _UltimateSuperBowler5000_'s turn_, the screen said.

"That's me!" Satoshi crowed. "Prepare to witness my incredible skill!" He grabbed his lime green and turquoise ball and flung it with all his might down the lane. It immediately rolled into the gutter and continued until it dropped out of sight. Everyone snickered, except for Satoshi. "I will make up for that with my next shot," he promised, picking up his ball as it was delivered by the machine. This time, the ball sent one pin flying and dropped out of sight again. The fallen pin rolled into its neighbor, which wobbled and fell.

"Wow, Satoshi. That was brilliant," Naomi commented drily as Ayumi and Yoshiki laughed hysterically.

"I'm not warmed up yet," Satoshi explained loftily as he returned to his seat.

_It's _BowlingBeauty_'s turn,_ said the screen.

"_Yes_!" Naomi exclaimed, rushing to get her bright orange ball after taking one last sip of Coke. She positioned herself carefully at the edge of the lane and made sure she had a tight grip on the ball. She swung her arm back, then forwards, and released the ball. The orange blur raced down the middle of the lane and crashed into the frontmost pin, which crashed into the pins behind it. After a few seconds, all the pins were down.

"YEAAAHHHH!" Naomi whooped with glee, bouncing up and down.

Ayumi jumped to her feet and squealed, "You got a strike! You got a strike!" while Satoshi and Yoshiki sat flabbergasted.

"In your _face_!" Naomi exclaimed as she skipped over to them, a huge grin on her face.

"Beginner's luck," Satoshi scoffed.

_It's _StrikeKnight118_'s turn_, the screen said.

Yoshiki leaped to his feet. "I got this, Satoshi!" He scooped up his dark red bowling ball and hurled it down the lane. It collided with three pins, sending them flying. The second time, he knocked down two.

"Impressive," Ayumi said sarcastically. Yoshiki punched her lightly in the shoulder as he sat down beside her. She shoved him back, and he wrapped one arm around her, straitjacketing her so she couldn't fight back. "This is abuse!" Ayumi squealed as he tickled her with his other arm.

_It's _ThePhantomOfTheAlley_'s turn_, said the screen.

"I'm ready!" Ayumi cheered. She rolled a strike, much to the boys' chagrin.

The game continued. When it was over, the boys had a collective score of 102. Yoshiki had scored 68, while Satoshi earned a whopping 34. Meanwhile, the girls had scored a 186: Naomi with a 87 and Ayumi with a 99.

"I was so close to 100," she grumbled.

"What are you complaining about?" Naomi asked, smirking. "We won! Now we get to tell Kishinuma and Satoshi what to do!" On cue, the boys groaned in unison.

"How did you beat us?" Yoshiki wondered aloud, amazed. "And how the hell did Shinozaki score the highest?"

"Hey!" Ayumi protested. "I scored highest 'cause I have mad skills!" Yoshiki snorted at her wording. It was so unlike her to speak that way.

"Let's go grab a bite to eat," Satoshi suggested. He hoped that the girls would forget about their prize. If they remembered, they would no doubt make he and Yoshiki do something embarrassing.

Of course, a plan was already forming in Ayumi's diabolical mind.

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**Thanks for reading, and, as always, reviews are welcomed and encouraged! Hugs for all! \(=ω=)/**


	8. The Most Wonderful Time

**Hello, my little chickadees! It has been ages and ages since I last posted! Oh my lord! I am so sorry, my life got _really_ busy _really_ quickly. Soon, I anticipate having a lot more time to write, though. Thank you for bearing with me! :)**

**This chapter is extremely short but I wanted to give you all something to read.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Corpse Party.**

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"There's a new sushi place down the street," Ayumi said.

"Let's try it out," said Naomi.

"Sounds good," Yoshiki agreed.

The sushi restaurant was crowded, but the four managed to get a booth near the back. Satoshi immediately pulled Naomi into one side, leaving Yoshiki and Ayumi to sit next to each other. As Yoshiki was sliding into the booth, his hand brushed Ayumi's bare thigh and she jumped.

"Sorry!" he apologized hastily, scooting away from her. Satoshi and Naomi snickered.

"It's okay," Ayumi managed breathily, her heart pounding. The simple touch had made all her muscles tense up at once in a not-entirely-unpleasant way. Her whole body felt drawn to him, like a magnet.

"I'm so hungry!" Naomi exclaimed.

"Me, too," Satoshi agreed.

"I bet I'm _more_ hungry," Naomi said challengingly.

"I bet you're not," Satoshi argued.

"Oh, it's _on_!"

"Whoever eats the most sushi wins!" Satoshi proclaimed.

"Are _you _hungry, Shinozaki?" Yoshiki asked with a grin.

"A bit, I guess," Ayumi hedged.

"Are you, or aren't you?" Naomi demanded. "How do you not know?"

Ayumi's temper flared up. "I know a lot more than you, Nakashima, and I don't think it should matter to you whether I'm hungry or not!"

The other three stared at her for a moment.

"Shinozaki, we're just joking around," Yoshiki said nervously.

"Well, stop it!" Now Ayumi felt stupid. She crossed her arms, her cheeks bright red, and stared at the table.

"I'm sorry, class rep," Naomi said sincerely. "I didn't realize you would take offense."

"Well, it's okay, I suppose," Ayumi mumbled reluctantly.

Just then, a waitress came and took their order. Satoshi and Naomi were still hell-bent on having an eating contest, and they ordered five or six plates of food each. After giving them a confused look, the waitress returned to the kitchen with her notepad.

"Are you guys excited that Christmas is coming up?" Naomi asked.

"Hell, yeah!" Satoshi replied enthusiastically. "My parents always get me an awesome present - I'm expecting an Xbox One this year! Plus, Yuka is so happy when she opens her presents. She always tries to stay up late so she'll see Santa come down the chimney."

"Aww, so cute!" Naomi and Ayumi exclaimed.

"I love Christmas, too," Ayumi piped up. "Making gingerbread houses and decorating the tree with Hinoe and my parents is so fun!"

Yoshiki watched his crush's face light up like the sun. He wished that he could be as excited for Christmas, but his parents had never bothered with heartfelt bonding activities - at least, not with him. He thought back to the Christmas when he had been nine years old…

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_"Can I sit on Santa's lap?" Miki begged her parents as they walked through the mall. In a roped-off area, fake snow was dusted around the feet of a huge red chair where "Santa" sat. Two small children were perched on his knees, their gap-toothed smiles wide._

_ Yoshiki was walking slightly behind his family, his usual position. His parents had Miki between them and each were holding one of her pudgy five year-old hands. Miki was constantly showered with the love and affection that had been withheld from Yoshiki, but he wasn't jealous. It was just the way things were._

_ "Of course you can sit on his lap," Yoshiki's mother cooed. "We'll take a lovely little picture to send to your aunts and uncles for the holidays." They waited in line for a while; then it was their turn. Yoshiki's father carefully placed his precious baby girl on Santa's lap. When Yoshiki moved to stand beside her, assuming that he would be in the picture, he felt a rough jerk on the back of his collar that sent him reeling backwards._

_ "You're not going to be in the picture, idiot boy," his father growled in his ear, his strong grip pulling Yoshiki's collar tight around his neck. The young boy struggled to breathe. After a few moments of terrifying asphyxiation, his father released him. A lightheaded Yoshiki stumbled away, biting back tears and rubbing the marks that the collar had left on his throat._

_ Perhaps the worst part was that not one of the witnesses to the cruelty that his parents inflicted upon him bothered to protest. They just looked away. They always looked away._

_ Yoshiki's parents gave him turtlenecks to wear for the next few days until the marks disappeared. It would be a shame if someone noticed._

* * *

"Don't you like Christmas, Yoshiki?" Ayumi's voice broke into his thoughts. He started slightly.

"Uh, I guess so." Yoshiki scratched the back of his head nervously.

"You guess so?" Satoshi said incredulously. "Everyone likes Christmas!"

"Sure," Yoshiki agreed quietly. "Everyone likes Christmas."

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**Thanks for reading and for all the lovely reviews I hope you will post! :)**

**Until next time!**


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